Blog Post No. 4

In a Huffington Post article, reporter David Moye addresses Senator Marco Rubio’s new gun control claims. In a response to both the school shooting in Parkland, Florida and Florida Governor Rick Scott’s new gun laws, Rubio has offered his consent towards Scott’s decision; Scott has surprisingly upped the minimum age requirement to buy a firearm to 21 years of age. However, some, like David Moye, are skeptical to Rubio’s newfound embrace of recent gun control measures.

Moye notably points out Rubio’s seemingly indestructible ties to the National Rifle Association. Currently, the NRA has shelled out a whopping $3 million dollars towards helping Rubio stay in office. So if this is the case, why would Rubio want to do anything to disturb those gentle waters? Moye’s reminder of this hypocrisy makes his argument so powerful because so many politicians have a rich history of doing anything to stay in office, despite the conflict of ethics or betrayal of their constituents.

Moye also brings to light a claim from Senator Rubio’s spokeswoman, Olivia Perez-Cubas. She insists that Rubio has not shifted his position since his controversial appearance at a town hall meeting in Parkland, in which he refused to budge on his opposition to gun control; Rubio was famously booed by students, parents, and faculty with ties to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. In a supposed mix-up of words, Rubio’s currently argument, according to his spokeswoman, is that only some rifles should be inaccessible to 18 year old, but others like those used for hunting should remain available. With this, Moye is continuing to point out the inconsistencies in Rubio’s claims and, more importantly, his determination to ignore the problem. Moye even highlights this when he writes that the Huffington Post asked Senator Rubio if he thought, “whether underage gun enthusiasts should be able to use their parent’s semiautomatic weapons,” but he was hesitant to answer. All of these critiques that Moye makes are reasonable and logical. If politicians can’t be consistent with their stances, and if their ties with companies are unbreakable, then how can you believe or trust them? Moye very effectively asks this question with his short, but astute, article.